Monthly Archives: March 2011

NSE planning platform for small enterprises to trade

One of the most fervent prayers of East African venture capitalists is about to be answered — that is, if Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority delivers on a recent commitment. The Nairobi Stock Exchange is set to have a Small and … Continue reading

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GATE Technologies Acquires Controlling Interest of Angels in Action: Extends Its Offerings Into Micro-Finance

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – March 23, 2011) – GATE Technologies announced today that it has acquired a controlling interest in Angels in Action (“AIA”), a peer-to-peer, micro-finance platform serving US-based entrepreneurs. The transaction will enhance the offerings of GATE Global … Continue reading

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Bunye: Serving the ‘unbanked’

LAST year was another banner year for Philippine microfinance. The Philippines was recognized by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) as the best among 54 countries in the world in terms of regulatory environment for microfinance. The EIU, in its “Global … Continue reading

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EU urged to ease SMEs’ access to finance

The European Commission is being advised once more to focus on measures to provide support and financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are considered as the most important source of employment growth in the EU. The SME sector … Continue reading

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Group canvasses support for MfBs

Chairman, Lagos State Microfinance Banks (MfBs), Bashorun Alabi-Macfoy, has stressed the need to support the nation’s Microfinance institutions, saying they are the key to eradicating poverty in the society. Alabi-Macfoy spoke at a workshop, the theme: The Role of a … Continue reading

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French Official Calls Bank ‘Bashing’ Futile

The French economy minister said it was futile to continue castigating bankers for their role in the financial crisis, arguing that attention should shift to making sure the banks returned to their core role of financing growth. “It’s time for … Continue reading

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SA lagging behind its peers in SME growth

Government’s approach to small and medium enterprise (SME) development has come under scrutiny following the awarding of mega-deals to politically connected businesses. SA lags behind other emerging countries in entrepreneurial activity. It is one of the few in the developing … Continue reading

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Indian insurers have numbers to crunch for maximum profit

Nippon Life has acquired a 26 per cent stake in Reliance Life for 30.62 billion rupees (Dh2.49bn), the largest foreign direct investment into India’s financial services industry. The acquisition last week valued Reliance Life at about US$2.6bn (Dh9.55bn), which analysts … Continue reading

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Yunus gets support from Russia

Top executives of several Russian institutions have expressed concern over the latest developments relating to the Grameen Bank and its founder Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus. The developments might negatively tell on the stability of the bank, which plays the … Continue reading

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How To Trade Businesses That Do Good (WMT, YUM, PEP, JNJ)

If you’re looking to make an impact with your investments that go beyond mere profit, then consider the following stocks. These stocks all demonstrate serious commitments to serving community, whether at home or globally. Interestingly, a new asset class is … Continue reading

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